Susan Koh wrote:If given a choice between Phuket or Krabi, which would you choose to go for a family vacation? or is it really same, same since both are beach vacations?

Same same but different.

Both are in Thailand - speaks Thai and a smattering of English, and both 'more or less' faces the same Andaman sea.

However, Phuket is a lot more developed for mass commercial tourism whereas Krabi (in general) is not. You will find more restaurants, pubs, night markets, tourists attractions (that has nothing much to do with Thailand), etc in Phuket. In Krabi, your options are somewhat limited.

The 'Krabi' that tourists frequent is actually Ao Nang, a small resort town. There are quite a lot of amenities that have been built up to cater to the tourists but still not to the same level as Phuket. Backpackers and the 'I think I am not a commercial tourist' crowd tends to stay in Railay, a small peninsula between the city of Krabi and Ao Nang, which is accessible only by longtail boat.

If your family vacation is one of those that needs to go out, do something and be back only after nightfall - head to Phuket.If your family vacation is one of those chillax, do nothing type - head to Krabi.